Pfizer and BioTech recently announced that their Covid-19 vaccine is now safe for children between the ages of 5 and 11. This statement was released after the first testing done on this age group had results released. However, the data has not been peer-reviewed or published yet. 

The testing was conducted by giving the children about a third of the dose used by people over the age of 12. It consisted of 2,268 participants. The urge to push out the vaccine in this age group comes after a surge in the number of cases in children under 12.

Albert Bourla, the Pfizer CEO stated, “Since July, pediatric cases of COVID-19 have risen by about 240 percent in the U.S. — underscoring the public health need for vaccination. These trial results provide a strong foundation for seeking authorization of our vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old, and we plan to submit them to the FDA and other regulators with urgency.”

Pharmaceutical companies are reporting that the results from their testing are indicating that the vaccine will be effective for children, producing a strong antibody to fight off the virus.

When it comes to vaccine history, Pfizer is the only company that has an FDA-approved Covid-19 vaccine. They are also leading the way when it comes to beginning the efforts towards vaccinating children under the age of 5. They are expected to release clinical trial results by the end of October.